The Hijacking of the Temple Mount

 

	The Western (Wailing) Wall... Shalom Partner and Friend of Israel,If one would want to explain in a nutshell what all the strife at present is all about in and around Israel, spiritually speaking, then the answer would have to be: There is an enormous battle about the possession of "who gets" the heart of the city of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount.(J.W. v.d. Hoeven - Director, International Christian Zionist Centre) The Temple Mount in Jerusalem has today become the centrepiece of the political conflict in the Middle East. It is a holy site over which is threatened a holy war. If there's any place in the world where belief in the ‘End Times’ is a powerful force in real-life events, it's the Holy Land. The territory today shared and contested by Jews and Palestinians is the stage of mystery in Christianity, Judaism, and even Islam. When a great drama is played out here, the temptation to match events with the script of the Last Days can be irresistible. For a century just such a drama has been acted out, compelling the world's attention and firing the expectations in all three religions among those who hope for the End Time events. The struggle for the Temple Mount… is the battle for the possession of that holy ground over which Islam claims exclusive sovereignty as its third holiest site and over which Israel (since 1967) has exercised sovereignty and upon which Orthodox Judaism believes a Temple will be rebuilt in the last days. It is a battle that is just beginning even though it has been brewing for decades…! It is a battle whose roots stretch backward in time to the days of Israel's King David and whose branches weave throughout the history of the nations to climax with the final kingdom on planet earth. It is a battle that today is being waged more often with words, but sometimes also with stones, tear gas, and guns. This battle is predominantly religious, yet it is inseparable from the political quest for peace in the Middle East. It is a conflict over a site in a city most people in the West have never seen… yet it is linked with the events of 9/11 which forced the West into a war against terrorism and committed western troops to the blood-soaked soils of these ancient lands. Ultimately, this confrontation over a holy site is at the heart of a conflict and battle of belief that has been raging since the dawn of time and will be resolved only at the end of days. It is, therefore, a drama that has a place as much in prophecy as in politics. And because the future develops from the present, it is appropriate that we consider the prophetic events of the Bible in light of present experiences. The recognition here is that God has, and will bring to pass, a purposeful program for the Jewish people. A purpose which, on the other side of the battle, will see the Temple Mount fulfilling divine destiny (Isaiah 19:16-25; Zechariah 14:16-19). Since Biblical times, religious Jews have prayed three times a day towards the site of the ancient Jewish Temple. But sadly since the Mount had came under the sovereignty of the Jewish State, 44 years ago… NO Jew has been officially permitted to pray at the site! Today the Muslim authorities that were permitted by Israel in 1967 to control the Temple Mount now declare that no Temple ever existed there. They further claim that the city of Jerusalem, and even the entire Land of Israel, never had a Jewish history! Unquestionably the focal point for Islamic terrorist groups in their on going war with Israel is the city of Jerusalem and especially the holy site of the Temple Mount. They warn that any attempt to counter these claims and impose a Jewish presence at the site will start a cataclysmic war with two billion Muslims worldwide. The greatest LIE ever told about Jerusalem… Goebbels one of Hitler’s generals once said that "If the lie is big enough and told often enough, it will be believed." There were no mosques in Jerusalem in 632AD when the prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam died... Jerusalem was (then) a Christian city. The Muslim "claim" to Jerusalem is based on what is written in their Koran, even though Jerusalem is not mentioned even once. Nevertheless it mentions in Sura 17:1, of the ‘furthest mosque;’ "Glory be unto Allah who did take his servant for a journey at night from the sacred mosque to the furthest mosque." But is there any foundation to the Muslim argument that this "furthest mosque" refers to what is today called the El-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem? The answer is; NONE whatsoever. Before the days of Mohammed, Christian conquerors had occupied Jerusalem (within the Byzantine Empire). Bringing one's religion into battle demonstrated that both their armies and their religion were superior to those of their victims when they won. So, they usually built their holy places on top of their victims' holy places, which they did on the Temple Mount, to absorb the strength of their conquered adversaries and to convert them to their religion. Even under the threat of the sword, the Jews refused to convert and allow their lineage to be absorbed, which would in effect, transfer God's Covenant. In the days of Mohammed (who died in 632 AD), Jerusalem was a Christian city within the Byzantine Empire. Jerusalem was captured by Khalif Omar only in 638 AD, six years after Mohammed's death. Throughout all this time there were only churches in Jerusalem, and a church stood on the Temple Mount, called the "Church of Saint Mary of Justinian," built in the Byzantine architectural style. Jerusalem, despite Mohammed's rejection, was still looked upon in the then Arab world as a powerful symbol where the ancient Jews had placed their faith. The Jews considered Jerusalem the centre of the world and the earthly dwelling place of (HaShem) God. It was not surprising that the Arabs and other nations wanted to own and control this source of power. The El-Aksa Mosque was built 20 years after the Dome of the Rock, which was built in 691-692 by Khalif Abd El Malik of Syria in a first effort to turn Muslim prayers toward his structure. He wanted to demonstrate Islam's superiority over the Christians and Jews they had driven from Jerusalem. This was primarily for political purposes, not necessarily religious. The name "Omar Mosque" is therefore false. In or around 711, or about 80 years after Mohammed died, Malik's son, Abd El-Wahd - who ruled from 705-715 - reconstructed the Christian Byzantine, Church of St. Mary and converted it into a mosque. He left the structure as it was - a typical Byzantine "basilica" structure with a row of pillars on either side of the rectangular "ship" in the centre. All he added was an onion-like dome on top of the building to make it look like a mosque. He then named it El-Aksa, so it would sound like the one mentioned in the Koran. This myth of Jerusalem as Islam's third holiest city based upon the mythical ascension of Mohammed from Al-Aksa to Heaven has grown exponentially in the recent telling since 1967. When you tell a Big Lie and repeat it often, it achieves credibility and legs of its own. Both claims by the Muslims that either the Temple Mount or Jerusalem is holy to Islam are false based upon irrefutable historical evidence. The late Arafat, Abbas the present President of the Palestinians and the Arabs today found it quite easy to tell the Big Lie since they received such positive support from the Nations and the Media. Strangely, they also received support from the Catholic Church who was willing to cut off the branch upon which their religion rested. If, as the Palestinians claim there was no Jewish Temple, then Yeshua (Jesus), the Jew, could never have thrown out the money changers from the Temple (Matthew 21:12),nor could He have studied there or even existed! After the Jews revolted against Roman rule, the Romans under Titus destroyed and burned the Second Temple beginning on the Ninth of Av (Tisha B'Av), 70 AD. The Romans sent the Jews into exile again for 1,878 years. However, for all that time there was always a Jewish presence and those dispersed across the globe prayed daily ~ "Next Year in Jerusalem!" The City and the Temple have always been central to Jewish thought and identity. Despite the Arab and Palestinians claim that there was no Jewish Temple, the Romans memorialized their capture of the Jews and their Temple in 70 AD by carving it in stone and parading the sacred Temple vessels, including the great Menorah (Candelabra). In Islam, telling a lie to infidels for the sake of enlarging your own believers' faith or defeating the infidel is acceptable, even desirable! Therefore it is crystal clear that Mohammed could never have had this mosque in mind when he compiled the Koran, since it did not exist for another three generations after his death. Rather, as many scholars long ago established, it is logical that Mohammed intended the mosque in Mecca as the "Sacred Mosque," and the mosque in Medina as the "Furthest Mosque." So much for the Muslim claim based on the El-Aksa Mosque. With this understood, it is no wonder that Mohammed issued a strict prohibition against facing Jerusalem in prayer! This practice was tolerated only for some months in order to lure Jews to convert to Islam. When that effort failed, Mohammed put an abrupt stop to it on 12th February, 624. Jerusalem simply never held any sanctity for the Muslims themselves, but only for the Jews! 13th Century Arab biographer Yakut noted: "Mecca is holy to Muslims; Jerusalem is holy to the Jews." Where were the Arabs in 1875 when this picture was taken… the Islamic Dome of the Rock stood alone, abandoned and in overall disrepair and lack of use? It seems amply clear that for centuries the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aksa Mosque were left unattended, without the flood of Muslim worshipers who would have come "IF" this was indeed the third holiest site in all Islam. The buildings show decay and lack of repair. The weeds and grass grew up between the stone flooring, proving that few Muslim feet trod the Temple Mount. (Recall that Jews were prohibited by their rabbis from walking across the surface of the Jewish Temple Mount since, without intent, they might tread on the place where the Holy of Holies stood with the Ark of the Covenant). The Temple Mount was held by the Muslim Turks for several hundred years. Nothing was done to repair the walls or the roof tiles on the Dome of the Rock or the El-Aksa Mosque. There are no records of high Muslim clerics or kings paying homage to Jerusalem by visiting El-Aksa or the Dome of the Rock nor is there evidence of caretakers or clerics to greet or preach to Muslims coming to worship during those hundreds of years. Granted the Temple Mount was a magnet for conquerors seeking its power but, once in hand did not give up her secrets. Only the Jews seemed to want to stay and bask in its spiritual glow. The Islamic claim to the Temple Mount is very recent…Jerusalem's role as "The Third Holiest Site in Islam" in mainstream Islamic writings does not precede the 1930’s. It was created by the Grand Mufti Haj Amin al Husseini (Hitler’s Mufti!). Most problems surrounding Jerusalem can be traced to two areas of dispute: One is the political area that asks Jerusalem to be the capital of both Israel and the now claim for Palestine by the Arabs. The other and most contentious problem is the holiness of Temple Mount to both Judaism and Islam. The role Jerusalem has in the Hebrew Scriptures is well known and not open to debate! But there are varying opinions on the holiness of Jerusalem, specifically the Temple Mount to Islam. Many if not most opinions that counter Islam’s claim point out that Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran and did not occupy any special role in Islam until recent political exigencies transformed Jerusalem into Islam's third holy site. Jerusalem's role as "The Third Holiest Site in Islam" in mainstream Islamic writings does not precede the 1930s. It wasn't until the Jews recaptured the Temple when they reunified Jerusalem in the 1967, Six Days War that the Arabs paid any attention to the area. King Hussein of Jordan previously held the area for 19 years but did nothing to reclaim it. His only interest was to destroy the 58 Jewish synagogues, desecrate the ancient Mt. of Olives, Jewish cemetery and drive the Jews out of what is now called East Jerusalem by the Arabs. King Hussein (along with Arab nations who had lost the wars they started to annihilate the Jewish State) vented his fury by destroying everything Jewish… and continues today! Defying all logic… the Temple Mount a 35-acre landmass surrounded by ancient walls is ground zero to the end-time dreams and fears of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. God calls Jerusalem: "the navel of the world ... situated in the centre of the world, Ezekiel 5:5; 38:12." The Meaning of ‘Temple’… In defining the concept of a temple, the languages of the Bible employ various terms. The general Hebrew term for temple, although rarely used in the Bible, is the word "hekal" meaning "big house." The preferred description in the Bible, to describe the Jerusalem Temple is Beit ‘Adonai (the "house of the Lord"), or Beit 'Elohim (the "house of God"). This expression better denotes the basic idea of the Temple as "a place where God dwells" - a connotation expressed by the earliest Hebrew term for God's abode, Mishkan ("dwelling place; Tabernacle"). Therefore, the term Temple has in view the permanent aspect of God's dwelling with His people, which include all intermediate and future forms… Leviticus 16:33 Psalm 74:7; 96:6; Isaiah 63:18; Lamentations 1:10; 2:7, 20; Ezekiel 5:11; 9:6. The Jewish Temple begins… with God's choice of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem for an altar and a place for the testing of Abraham's faith with his son Isaac, the heir of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 22:2). Mount Moriah was established as the place where God would provide for His people through His provision of a sacrifice in substitution for Isaac, thus preserving the boy's life, upon which depended the future of the Jewish nation (Genesis 22:13-18). Next, the Lord delivers Israel from its bondage in Egypt and instructs Moses to take the people to the place established for His Sanctuary (Exodus 15:17). At Mount Sinai, Moses receives the heavenly blueprint for the Sanctuary and its vessels (Exodus 25:8- 9, 40). The Tabernacle is constructed as a portable and temporary dwelling place for God's presence(Exodus 40:36-38; 2 Samuel 7:6) and remains Israel's Sanctuary for 485 years through the periods of the conquest of Canaan and the settlement in the Land. This period of settlement, ends in the time of King David who destroys Israel's enemies and captures Jerusalem thus making possible a political and spiritual centre for the nation in the place of promise. David's desire to build the First Temple qualifies him to begin the financial preparations for the project (2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Chronicles 17:1; 29), but he was NOT allowed to build it because as a warrior, he was not a fitting symbol of God's peaceful program (1 Kings 3:3-14; 5:3). That privilege went to David's son Solomon. After 374 years as Israel's Sanctuary, the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. After 70 years of Babylonian exile, a Jewish remnant of about 50,000 returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel the priest to begin building the Second Temple (Ezra 1-6), which was completed and dedicated in 515 B.C. After another 500 years, the Second Temple was in severe need of repairs. The reigning Judean king, Herod the Great, refurbished it completely, doubling its height and greatly expanding its size. Yeshua (Jesus) prophesied of its imminent destruction (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2; Luke 21:6, 20-24) and the sentence was carried out 586 years after the dedication of the original Second Temple and 76 years after its reconstruction, in A.D. 70, by the Romans under Titus, son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian. Although the Jewish people attempted to re-build the Temple a number of times none were successful or lasting. The Bible clearly teaches that a new temple ~ which WILL BE called "The Third Temple" ~ will be built in the future… The prophecy of a future Jewish Temple in Jerusalem is a key part of the biblical restoration promise made to national Israel for the last days. This promise was made by prophets who prophesied at the close of the First Temple period and was renewed by the prophets who prophesied after the return from captivity (Daniel 9 - 12; Haggai 2:5 - 9; Zechariah 8 - 14; Malachi 3 - 4). Therefore, just as the Second Temple was a result of national repentance, so the Third Temple will be restored once a new national repentance is secured (Zechariah 12:10 - 13:2; Romans 11:25 - 27). This raises the question as to precisely when the temple will be rebuilt… The Bible does not reveal the answer to this question. All it says for certain is that the temple will be in existence when the Antichrist reveals himself (Thessalonians 2:3-4), and that will be in the middle of the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27). Since this will be only three and a half years into the Tribulation, many have concluded that the temple will likely be rebuilt before the Tribulation begins, because; how could such a magnificent building be constructed in such a short period of time? But this conclusion overlooks the fact that the temple can be literally resurrected overnight! That's because the Jews plan to erect a tent temple like the Tabernacle of Moses, and they are ready to do so at any moment. Everything has been prepared. Once this temporary temple is put up, they will resume the sacrifices and then start building a more permanent structure around and above the temporary one. There is a distinct possibility that the ancient temples were not located where the Dome of the Rock currently sits. There is strong evidence that their location was to the north of the Dome and that the sacrificial altar inside the Dome was the one that Solomon built in "the middle of the court" to handle the thousands of special sacrifices which he offered to the Lord on the day The First Temple was dedicated (2 Chronicles 7:7). If that is so, then The Third Temple could be built north of the Dome of the Rock, putting the Dome in the Court of the Gentiles!This may well be the solution the Antichrist will come up with when he negotiates a peace between the Jews and the Arabs (Daniel 9:27). Currently there are two major obstacles to the reconstruction of The Third Temple… First is location. The next temple can only be built where the two previous temples stood because the Holy of Holies must be on the exact same spot. But no one knows for sure where the previous temples were located on the Temple Mount. Most scholars believe that they stood where the Dome of the Rock currently stands. The only way to prove this is through archaeological excavations on the Temple Mount, something which is currently prohibited by the Muslims. If The Third Temple is to be built where the Dome of the Rock now stands, then that Muslim structure must first of all be removed either by Man or God. The second obstacle is the attitude of the Jewish people and their leaders. Only a handful of ultra-Orthodox Jews have a passion for The Third Temple and have made all the preparations. But they have no popular support. Something will have to happen to create a surge of nationalistic pride that will demand a new temple. This catalytic event could be the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant. Now, with increasing pressure from just about every world power, Israel is being forced to fight for its real estate, and ultimately, its very existence! Shimon Peres, at 84, became the President of Israel. He has been one of the principal brokers of land for peace, and may be the one who finally sits down with Abbas’ for an East Jerusalem (and by default; a Temple Mount solution)."Peres" is the Hebrew word for "divided." It is the word the Prophet Daniel saw in Belshazzar's court when his kingdom was divided. Peres may play a prophetic role by permanently dividing Israel by declaring a Palestinian State. If not Peres and the Quartet it will certainly be somebody eventually. To summarize, there is definitely going to be a third temple. It will most likely be erected at the beginning of the Tribulation in the form of a tent temple, like the Tabernacle of Moses. A more permanent structure will then be built around and above it. The Antichrist will desecrate this temple in the middle of the Tribulation. The Tabernacle and the Temple functioned as witnesses to God's covenants with Israel. The presence of God in the Temple presupposed a covenant relationship. This was God's plan for the Temple from the beginning – the restoration of a relationship so that a kingdom of priests could be formed to reflect God's holiness on earth (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7). The Third Temple will be destroyed at the Second Coming of Yeshua (Jesus). The great earthquake at that time will radically change the topography of Jerusalem and all the earth(Revelations 6:12-17). In Jerusalem it will result in the provision of a very large level area where the Millennial Temple will be constructed. This is the temple from which Jesus will reign over all the earth. It is described in detail in Ezekiel 40-46. God has a future for the nation of Israel in His plan, and that plan is to be realized in the same place as it was in the past, and then the Temple, as a prominent symbol of that nation's past failure, should be expected to be a part of its future restoration. This indicates that God has had and still has a purpose for the Temple, a purpose that will conflict with all plans not submitted to His own and therefore bring about the battle for the last days' Temple. The most striking similarity between Solomon’s temple and the millennial temple is the presence of the "Shekinah" glory of the Lord. This glory departed from the earth before Solomon’s temple was destroyed BUT will return after the millennium or Kingdom temple is built by the Messiah (2 Chronicles 7:1 - 3; Zechariah 6:12 - 13 and Ezekiel 43:2 – 5). Maranatha Lord Yeshua! We hope that you enjoy and become more informed by our work. We serve an awesome God and we are humbled by this opportunity to bring you this information. With Shalom to you and your family always, Alf & Julie Saunders 08th December, 2011 http://www.pray4zion.org/TheHijackingoftheTempleMount.html

ISLAM the Green Horse of Revelation...?

Is ISLAM the Green Horse of Revelation...?

	This Muslim painting depicts the 12th Mahdi’s horse with Islam’s green flag. Counter – clockwise spiral symbolizes death! Shalom Partner and Friend of Israel, Does the "pale green horse rider" of Revelation 6 intrigue and send a mysterious sense of wonder for you? We have always been intrigued by the colours used for the four horses as it appears that they are the key. With the first three riders their colours depicts their "war tactics." For instance the rider on the white horse goes out conquering and to conquer and the black horse will cause death and famine. The rider of the red horse will take peace from the world… he will make war! The rider of the pale-green horse has the same terrible effects to his colour but will destroy one-fourth of the population of the world. "Is ISLAM… the Green Horse of Revelation?" Twice in the Bible, a significant prophecy is written concerning the four horsemen… in Zechariah 6:1 - 8 and in Revelation 6:1 - 8. "I don't think you can overstate the importance that the rise of Islamic fundamentalism will have to the rest of the world in the century ahead… especially if, as seems possible, its most fanatical elements get their hands on nuclear and chemical weapons and the means to deliver them against their enemies." ~ Ronald Reagan In Revelation 6:8 the King James Bible translation reads; "And I looked, and behold a pale horse." The Greek word that was translated "pale" is "chloros." Strong’s Executive Concordance gives the definition of "chloros as pale or green."  "Chlorophyll" comes from the route word "chloros" which is the pigment in plants that makes them green. Knowing this, we have to ask if this passage shouldn’t really have been translated "behold a green horse." The New Revised Standard Version; The Life Application Study Bible and other versions actually render this passage; "I looked and there was a pale green horse." Who are these ‘Four Horsemen?’ In Zechariah 6: 1-8, we do not have to wonder what these four horsemen represent because the verses tell us plainly. They are four spirits that travel across the earth. "When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth." Zechariah 6:7 (ESV) Are these Four Horsemen the four spirits that are striving to control the earth in the last days? And, are these prevailing end-time spirits historically arch rivals, both in beliefs and politics? Let’s look at these four horsemen from a different point of view… what God’s Word says, what past history has shown us and what’s happening today! The White Horse: Catholism fits the description of the white horse rider perfectly in Revelations 6:2. It is Roman Catholic custom that the Pope dresses in white; his helicopter is white; his jet-plane is white and his pope mobile is white. White is used as a symbol of peace. The predominant message of Roman Catholism is the message of peace. The Vatican has become a diplomatic peace centre for the world. When peace is being negotiated between rulers of our world, the Pope and other high officials of the Roman Catholic Church are often consulted. The verse states that "a crown was given to the one sitting on the white horse." History teaches that the pope originally had no crown. But, today the pope’s crown is a tiara consisting of three crowns. The verse also states that the rider of the white horse went forth conquering and to conquer. Although Catholism at present has no standing army… this has not always been the case… the first Crusades were initiated by Pope Urban II and the Crusaders under the blessing of the pope fought on for many years. When the majority of the people of a nation becomes Catholic that nation is referred to as a Catholic nation. Conquering and to conquer is the spirit of the white horse. The Red Horse:  There is an International spirit in the earth today known as the "red power" – nations that embrace Communism and Socialism – are known as "red nations." Red China; the Red Bear – Russia are just a few examples. Revelation 6:3-4 states that, "power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth." Everywhere Communism has raised its ugly head, revolution and war has broken out. Korea, Berlin, The Congo, Cuba, Vietnam andAfghanistan are just a few of many examples. The prophecy says that those controlled by this "red spirit" would kill one another. It has been estimated that 80,000,000 Chinese have been violently killed and removed since the Communists took over China in 1948. 20,000,000 were killed in Russia by Joseph Stalin. Everywhere communist revolution has gone there has been bloodshed and death! Finally; in the same verse, there was given to the rider of this red horse a great sword. What greater military might exist in the world today, than the combined power of Russia and China? Is there a nation that would like to go to war against these two giants? The red spirit which takes peace from the earth is Communism. The most intriguing characteristic of the rider on the red horse is the "mighty sword" he possesses. What is this mighty sword? Although we don’t know for sure, we do know that it is a unique and powerful weapon. No other "mighty swords" are mentioned in these verses, and it would seem unnecessary to mention the rider’s "mighty sword" if it was just one of many. The Black Horse: Revelation 6:5 says that the rider on the black horse has a pair of scales in his hand. Scales are a symbol of trade and commerce. What International spirit in the world embodies the message of commerce? Capitalism, of course! This is reinforced in the next portion of this prophecy. "And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny." (Vs. 6) One of the things heard daily in the news of capitalist countries is; Dow Jones Industrials – up three cents; AT and T – down a penny… Xerox is steady. This passage is a prophetic Stock Market Exchange report! Finally; in the same passage the Bible says, "… and do not hurt the oil and wine." One of the quickest ways for a man to loose office in the political world of capitalism is for the economy of that nation to suffer under his administration. Is the black horse the spirit of capitalism foreseen by God 2,000 years ago? Wheat and barley… are measured in Revelation 6, and it appears these staples are scarce because people are paying a Denarius – a day’s wage for a labourer (Matthew 20:2) – for a relatively small amount of these essential grains. "To eat bread by weight" is a Jewish phrase indicating that food supplies are sparse (Leviticus 26:26). It seems this famine, as all others, falls most severely on the poor, who spend their entire wages on dwindling quantities of food, without spare funds for olive oil and wine, the delicacies of the rich. Zechariah 6:6 tells us that the black horse went to the "north country" – amazingly most capitalist countries are located in the northern hemisphere! The Green Horse: Could the green horse be a prophetic symbol of Islam? Islam certainly fits into the pattern of the previous three world movements symbolized by Communism, Catholism and Capitalism. These are all powerful international movements that affected the course of the nations that embrace them and they each have symbolic colours that match one of the four horsemen.  In Daniel Pikes book – "Militant Islam Reaches America" – he describes the rise of Islam in a very interesting way… "The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, prompted loose talk about Islam replacing Marxism – Leninism as the West’s enemy. In symbolic terms, it was said that GREEN (Islam’s colour) had replaced RED (Communism’s colour) in the West’s rogues gallery." Let’s look at the entire prophecy about the "pale green" horse… "…And I saw, and behold, a pale green horse, and the name of the one sitting on it was Death; and Hades followed after him. And authority was given to them to kill over the fourth of the earth with sword, and with famine, and with death, and the wild beasts of the earth." Revelations 6:8 Since the colour of the green horse can legitimately be translated as green… and since the official colour of Islam is green, that aspect of the prophecy certainly fits! Zechariah 6:6 states that the fourth horse went into the south country – this too is amazing, since over 96.5 percent of the world’s Muslims live in Africa and Southern Asia, and Islam’s capital Mecca is south of Israel. The colour "green" has a special place in Islam... It is used in the decoration of mosques, the bindings of Koran’s, the silken covers for the graves of their Sufi saints, and in the flags of various Muslim countries. Green has been associated with Islam for many centuries. In the Koran (Surah 76:21), it is said that the inhabitants of paradise will wear "green garments" of fine silk. The colour green has been considered especially Islamic for centuries. The Crusaders avoided using any green in their Coats of Arms, so that they could notpossibly be mistaken for their Muslim opponents in the heat of battle. Green was the colour used by Muhammad’s tribe on their flags… It is said that if this “green banner of Muhammad” is ever raised above the mosque in Istanbul (where it is kept) it is a sign to the entire Muslim World, that it is time to go to war against Christians throughout the world! Remember… that they are already at war with the Jews! “The rising of the “green standard” is a call which none may disobey, without sacrificing, as the Koran calls it…all hopes of paradise. It is a summons to an anti-Christian crusade, a challenge of every believer in the prophet to arms; a war – signal in fact, which like the fiery cross of Scotland, would flash its dread command through the domain of Islam. In the interest of humanity, however, we may hope that “the commander of the faithful” will never utter the dreadful word; for then indeed would the whole soul and strength of Christendom turn against the enemy of all civilized laws, human and divine…! The prophet Muhammad himself predicted that one day when his followers should number a hundred millions – which they do now, with twenty millions more added to it – his flag should fly against the advancing power of the “northern” races; and the Koran, says that when its silken folds are flung forth “the earth will shake, the mountains melt into dust, the seas blaze up in fire and the children’s hair grow white in anguish!” (littell’s Article in 1878) A September 2006 article, WorldNet Daily.com reported an influential Imam (Muslim religious leader) in Gaza, Sheik Abu Saqer declared; “the day will come when the green flag of Muhammad will be raised upon the Vatican and all around the world.” The spirit of the green horse is described as having power over one fourth part of the earth… Estimates of followers of Islam by country based on US State Department figures now yield a total of 1.48 billion (Wikipedia). This figure is nearly the exact amount for one quarter of the world population. It is clear that from many events that we are very near the beginning of the great tribulation right now.  If the fourth pale-green horse rider is the presence resurgence of Islam, the timing is absolutely perfect! This is in direct conflict with the TRUE EN SIGN, the flag of God, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ)… Six times in the Book of Isaiah… he called the Messiah an ensign (banner, sign or flag).  “And He (God) will lift up an ensign (banner) to the nations from far… they shall come with speed swiftly,” (Isaiah 5:26) Yeshua (Jesus) is the true flag of God and when He returns, His presence will be infinitely MORE significant than the flag of Muhammad! Muhammad will NEVER again be seen on this earth, nor will he ever have a kingdom for himself. BUT, Yeshua (Jesus) WILL rule and reign over the entire world for a 1,000 years FROM JERUSALEM,Israel. The Sword of Death…! Death is the trade mark of the pale-green horse, just as death is the trade mark of Islam. Can anyone question the accuracy of this prophecy when Islam today is associated around the world with the more than 3,000 deaths in the world Trade Centre on 09/11/2001 and with 8,000 and more subsequent Islamic terrorist bombings around the world since then? Muslim clerics cynically boast that the West “loves life” BUT that Islam loves “death.” They teach their followers that the most glorious path to paradise is “martyrdom” (death by killing others while performing an act of suicide, in the name of Allah). Almost daily we read reports of deadly suicide attacks in Israel, France, Kenya, Iraq, and many other countries. Many of the nations in Europe today are being overrun by an Islamic presence such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Englandand many have more mosques than they do churches. In fact over 900 churches in the UK have been converted into mosques! It isn't hard to foresee Islam possibly getting the upper hand in Europe sometime in the near future. Daniel 7:25 says that the anti-Christ beast “shall intend to change times and law.” Whenever Islam takes over a nation they immediately implement Shariah Law and along with their Islamic calendar. While none of the European nations have become Islamic nations… as of yet, the influence of Islam and the push for Shariah Law is fierce. If Turkey gets its way and becomes an EU member things could change in Europe drastically and quickly. Revelation 6 says that “hell” follows the rider of death. Islam teaches their suicide bombers that paradise with 72 virgins follows their act of “martyrdom.” BUT our Holy Bible teaches us that all murderers will have their place in the lake of fire (Revelations 21:8). The pale-green death horse rider was to “kill with a sword, hunger and death.” Each of these forces thrives where Islam reigns! Islamic countries are known for the spreading and increasing violence, poverty and disease. Beheading was practiced by the founder of Islam, the prophet Muhammad himself during the 7th century period of Islam and by most Islamic rulers thereafter. The Koran not only commands this as a specific method of killing ones enemies but it was also a favoured method of killing by Muhammad and his followers: “If you encounter (in war) those who disbelieve, you may strike the necks” ~ Surah 47:4 (Khalifa) “When ye encounter the infidels, strike off their heads.” –Surah 47:4 (Rodwell) The end-times as described in the Bible will be a time when Christians will be persecuted and murdered for their faith…The specific manner of death that the Bible mentions for Christians will be “martyred by beheading” Revelations 20:4. It is quite undeniable that beheading is a tradition that stretches throughout Islamic history. Islam itself has thoroughly documented the fact that Muhammad and his immediate successors practiced beheading as the specific means to kill “the enemies of Islam.” This practice has continued in certain quarters of Islam to this very day. The Koran itself actually encourages beheading, or at a bare minimum, “smiting the necks” of “idolaters” and any “prisoners of war.” The death sentence is also prescribed for those who do not submit to or agree with the authority of the Caliph. As such it is actually very fair to assume that in the Islamic vision of the last-days, if a Caliph, specifically the Mahdi comes forward and accepts the notion that all Christians, Jews, Israelis, and any who support them are considered “enemies of Islam,” then it would be considered universally lawful and indeed even obligatory for all Muslims to “make war” and “smite the necks” of all Christians, Jews, or Westerners… etc, as well as any who dispute the authority of the Caliph. The Green Horse is also going to initiate the global ecological movement in the wake of World War III - a series of regional nuclear confrontations that are largely brought about in various areas through religious conflict initiated by the Islamic strongholds of planet earth. The Green Crescent is the recognized symbol of Islam and marks that hideous spirit of death that has historically animated the Moslem faith. That ancient evil is now riding at full gallop. Almost every single terrorist act that we read or hear about was done in the name of Allah… For 1400 years they have been all about world domination. They don’t want to share the world they want to own it and they are driven to do so with terror and force. They will not be satisfied until the entire world is bowing down to Allah. This will never change. That is why they will be a force to reckon with as we edge further and further into the last days. It seems to be of no coincidence that as we get closer to the Tribulation hour that Islam has been on the rise more and more… As we examine current events we see that the things going on in the Islamic nations and around Israel are lining up with the Scriptures. Throughout the books of the prophets we see judgment upon judgment being laid on nations that are all today’s Islamic nations. There is the burden against Egypt (Isaiah 19); the burden against Babylon (Isaiah 13); the burden against Edom (Isaiah21:11); the burden against Arabia (Isaiah 21:13); the burden against Syria (Isaiah 17) and even the burden against Israel that shares its land with a large Islamic presence. The word “burden” means “a duty or misfortune that causes hardship, anxiety or grief.” Do we not see this in all of these nations today? Sure other nations are going through troubles too but they are NOT listed in the Bible and that is for a reason. The reason being is that the Bible is outlining the nations that are specifically against God or shall we say “anti” (against) Christ. The Bible is consistently naming the Middle Eastern nations throughout its prophecies as being the subject of God’s wrath. Furthermore, Islam denies the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit!   We would like to finish with a story that demonstrates the subtle takeover of Islam in the West… Few Christians in the West are familiar with the Arabic word Da'wah. Many other words such as Jihad, Allah, Koran and Ramadan are now accepted words in many English language dictionaries, but Da'wah remains unknown. One of the reasons is that it is the quiet way that Muslims are attempting to make new converts to Islam especially in the West. Da'wah is their quiet revolution and they like to compare it to a story that is popular in the Middle East… and it goes like this: "…An Arab was making a long trip across the desert. During the day the heat can be scorching, but at night it can get bitter cold. On one especially cold night, the Arab was in his nice warm tent where fire kept the environment warm. As the man began to go to sleep, he noticed a large camel nose sticking in under the tent…! "Camel," he said, "why is your nose in my tent? "O Master," he replied, "it’s so cold out here, and if only my nose were warm, then I could have a good night’s sleep." The Arab thought it over and allowed him to keep his nose in. A little later the man awoke and saw that the camel now had his whole head in the tent. "What are you doing Camel? You said you only wanted your nose in the tent!" "O Master, you just do not know how cold it is out here, and if my head is in the tent, then I will be satisfied." After thinking it over, the Arab agreed and he went back to sleep… Once again he was awakened, this time to find that the camel had his head, neck, and two feet in the tent. "Camel, this is too much. You must stop!" "O Master, now I am really comfortable. I can sleep the whole night through." "O.K. said the Arab, "but this is the last time!" Later in the night the Arab awakened to discover that the tent was now full with the whole body of the camel inside the tent, and the Arab had little room. "Camel" he shouted..."What are you doing?" "If you are not happy with the ways things are then get out of my tent, you stupid Arab" was the camel’s reply!" Da’wah is Islam’s method… of taking a little bit at a time always using somewhat convincing arguments as to why we should accept them. The results could be rather dangerous for us in the West and especially for Israel! Rewriting the history of the Land of Israel in order to deny Israel's right to exist is central to Palestinian Authority (PA) policy… Long before it started the PA Terror Campaign (the "Intifada,") the PA was fighting a history war – erasing Jewish history and replacing it with a fabricated Palestinian history. This rewriting has two central goals: 1. To erase the Jewish 3,000 year history in the land of Israel. 2. Invent ancient Palestinian, Muslim and Arab histories in the land of Israel. Erasing Jewish history in the land of Israel is followed by the PA’s invention of ancient and modern histories that support its political ideology and claim to the land of Israel. The Holocaust and other aspects of Jewish history are alternately denied, downplayed or distorted. Another distortion is to hide from Palestinians that Yeshua (Jesus) historically and biblically was a Jew who lived in the Land of Judea/Israel. PA leaders repeatedly define Yeshua (Jesus) as a Palestinian and to hitch a ride into the past saying that He preached Islam, thus denying not only Jewish history, but also the history and legitimacy of Christianity.  The say… "We must not forget that Messiah (Jesus) is a Palestinian, the son of Mary the Palestinian." (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 18, 2005 and up to the today) This is a distortion of our Lord’s personal history. The Romans changed the name of Judea/Israel to "Palestine" 136 years after the birth of Yeshua (Jesus) to punish the Jewish nation after their unsuccessful rebellion (Islam did not even exist then). Another of their ridiculous inventions…Yeshua (Jesus) is turned into a Shahid – a holy Martyr of Islam. The entire religion of Muhammad’s Islam appears to be one that was created with the most evil intentions to discredit, replace andeliminate both Judaism and Christianity while attempting to build it entirely on the foundation of the Old and New Testament’s its principle characters, it effectively discredits the ENTIRE Bible making a complete mockery of it. We hope that you enjoy and become more informed by our work. We serve an awesome God and we are humbled by this opportunity to bring you this information. With Shalom to you and your family always, Alf & Julie Saunders  15th September, 2012 http://www.pray4zion.org/IsISLAMtheGreenHorseofRevelation.html

Revelation Chapter 6

revelation

Chapter 6

Chapter Highlights

• The First Seal
• The Four Horsemen
• The Tribulation Saints
• The Great Earthquake

Before We Begin

Chapter 6 is a chapter that shifts gears on us a little.  We now go from the future events unfolding around the throne and in heaven to future events on earth.  We have looked at what will happen in heaven between the Rapture and the Tribulation Period.  Now we turn our attention to what will happen on earth during this same period of time.  There is a lot of debate about how long this period will last. Most scholars agree that 3 years is a good possibility.  In other words we are exploring the concept that the Tribulation Period does not immediately follow the Rapture.  We are now exploring the idea of a gap or a number of years between the two events.  In order to set the stage for how there can be a gap of years between these events we want to begin with a review of the significance of the Jewish Feast Days.

The Seven Jewish Feast Days

In Leviticus 23 we find where God gave the Jews seven feast days to observe forever.  It can be shown that:

1. Jesus was crucified on Passover or the First feast day.This first feast day is usually called The Lord’s Passover.
2. Jesus was in the grave on the Second feast day which is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
3. Jesus arose from the dead on the Third feast day which is called the Feast of Firstfruits.
4. The Church Age began on the Fourth feast day which is called the Feast of Weeks.
5. There is reason to believe that the Church will be raptured on the Fifth feast day which is called the Feast of Trumpets.
6. There is reason to believe the Second Coming will occur and the Tribulation Period will end on the Sixth feast day which is called the Day of Atonement.
7. There is reason to believe the Millennium (the 1,000 year reign of Jesus) will begin on the Seventh feast day which is called the Feast of Tabernacles.

What Bible scholars find interesting is that between the Feast of Trumpets (Rapture) and the Day of Atonement (Second Coming and end of the Tribulation Period) there is a ten day period known as the “ten days of awe,” “the awesome days”, or also known as “ten days of repentance.”  Since the seventieth week (Tribulation Period, Rev 6:17) corresponds to seven years (one day of the seventieth week = one year of the Tribulation Period), it is reasonable to assume that the ten days of awe will correspond to ten years.  This period of time will give people, Gentiles and Jews, an opportunity to grieve, mourn, repent, and accept Jesus as Messiah before the Second Coming occurs.  Once the Second Coming occurs a man’s fate is sealed.  He’s either with Jesus or against him.  This 10-year period also allows for the Antichrist to come on the scene and rise to power before the Tribulation Period begins.

Three Sevens

During the Tribulation Period, Jesus will begin to deal with the satanic trinity and man’s rebellion on earth.  His course of disciplin

• Seven Seal Judgments
• Seven Trumpet Judgments
• Seven Bowl Judgments

The first six seals will be broken one at a time.  Each seal will produce one judgment for a total of six judgments.  The seventh seal will not produce a seventh judgment but will rather, produce the Seven Trumpet Judgments.  The first six trumpet judgments will each produce one judgment each for a total of six.  The seventh trumpet will produce the Seven Bowl Judgments.  When the seventh bowl is poured out, the Tribulation Period will come to an end.  God’s judgment will be finished.

A small number of prophecy experts suggest that these judgments will occur simultaneously.  This cannot be.  The seven trumpets do not begin until the seventh seal is opened, and the seven bowls do not begin until the seventh trumpet is blown.  Over the centuries people have always tried to figure out the Antichrist’s identity, since he will probably be alive when the Church is raptured.  But the problem with this is that he will be restrained and will not be revealed until the proper time.  When the true Church is raptured then, it will be time to start watching for the Antichrist, not before.  He will not stand out at first, so the best things to look for will be a popular and powerful person.  When he signs a seven-year treaty to protect Israel his identity is then, known to all who might be watching.

It’s important to note that Daniel indicates that the Tribulation Period will begin when the Antichrist confirms a seven year covenant (Dan 9:27).  This indicates that the covenant will be worked out and signed by other first, and confirmed by the Antichrist later.  Note that it will be a covenant with many.  There have been several peace agreements between Israel and others.  Some of these that have taken place in our lifetime include the Camp David Accord, Wye River Accord, The Oslo Accord, and so on.  It’s only been until recently that we had a proposed treaty known as The Road Map.  This treaty involved the whole world (the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the newly created European Union (EU).  How does society get much more of a “many” than this?  Most scholars agree that the Antichrist comes out of the EU.

Some skeptics of Bible prophecy say the Bible mentions a spirit of antichrist, but not a real person called the Antichrist.  The fact is, the Bible refers to Jesus by many different names.  He is called Son of God, Lamb of God, Savior, Christ, etc.  It’s the same way for the Antichrist.  He is called the Man of Sin, the Little Horn, the Beast Out of the Sea, the King of Fierce Countenance, the Lawless One, the Prince That Shall Come and much more.  Jesus called him the Abomination of Desolation in Mt 24:15.  Jesus didn’t say the Antichrist is a person, but he did say the Antichrist will stand in the holy place, and other verses say he will sit in the Temple and sign a covenant and demand to be worshiped.  The Bible doesn’t always call him by the name of Satan. But everyone knows what it means when it says Lucifer, Devil or Old Serpent.  It means Satan.  Everyone should know what it means when it says Man of Sin, etc., etc.

“The Antichrist will be a man who makes his debut upon the stage of world history with hypnotic charm and charisma.  He will probably come from the European Union or a country or confederation that was once part of the Roman Empire, which stretched from Ireland to Egypt and included Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.”  John Hagee, Beginning of the End, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996), 117.

The Seven Seal Judgments

1. The first seal produces a Rider on a White Horse.It symbolizes the release of the Antichrist (Rev 6:1-2)
2. The second seal produces a Rider on a Red Horse.This symbolizes the removal of peace on earth and causes war. (Rev 6:3-4)
3. The third seal produces a Rider on a Black Horse.This symbolizes economic collapse and famine. (Rev 6:5-6)
4. The fourth seal produces a Rider on a Pale Horse.This symbolizes death for unbelievers over ¼ of the earth.Satan is reaping souls for hell.(Rev 6:7-8)
5. The fifth seal reveals Souls Under the Alter.These are the persecuted saints who missed the rapture but came to Jesus despite the persecution and death sentence that awaited them.(Rev 6:9-11)
6. The sixth seal reveals a Great Earthquake and a cosmic upheaval of the sun, moon & stars.(Rev 6:12-14)
7. The seventh seal introduces the Seven Trumpet Judgments.(Rev 8:1-2)

Are We Ready To Begin?

Revelation 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” (NKJV)

With the opening of the first seal, the Tribulation Period begins.  The terrible judgments will not begin immediately or all at once. Instead, they will start slowly and build up over time.  They will not appear too bad at first but they will gain in strength and intensity quickly.  Things on earth will eventually get out of control and become so bad that mankind would destroy the earth if not for the Second Coming of Jesus.

Notice who opens the seals that kick off the Tribulation Period?  Jesus!  our kinsman redeemer.  He is in charge of the judgments and their timing.  He once said, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:22-23).  When he opens the first seal, one of the four living creatures will speak in a voice like thunder.

In each of the first four seals, a horse and rider are released by one of the four living creatures of chapter 4.  Each horse is waiting in its stall ready to charge out when the command is given.  They will not, however, all race out at once.  Each horse must wait for its command, and it command will be given by a different living creature when Jesus breaks a seal.  When all four living creatures have commanded their horses to come forth, all four horses will have been released.  Each living creature summons its horse by speaking just three words; Come and see.  This is consistent with what the apostle Paul taught.  The Antichrist is being restrained and cannot come forth until the restrainer (Church and Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way (2 Thes 2:6-8).  This does not mean that the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth.  Some suggest that when the restrainer is removed that means that the Holy Spirit is removed or taken away from the earth.  That is not the case as we shall discover in later chapters.  The Church however, is removed.  Jesus won’t break the 1^st seal and the first living creature won’t say, “Come” until the Church is safely in heaven.

As long as Noah was on the earth, God did not send the Flood.  As soon as Noah and his family entered the ark, God then, sent the flood and judged the world.  As long as Lot and his family were in Sodom and Gomorrah, God did not send fire and brimstone to destroy the cities.  But when Lot and his family were safely out of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:16-21; 19:27-29), God did not hesitate to judge these cities.  Today, as long as the Church is in the world, God will not send these terrible judgments.  But as soon as the Church is taken out, God will not hesitate to pour out his wrath.  This is yet another example of the grace of God toward His Church.

The White Horse

Revelation 6:2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse.  He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (NKJV)

Chapter 19 of Revelation also speaks of a rider on a white horse.  In that case, the rider is Jesus.  For this reason, however, a few ‘experts’ suggest that the rider of the white horse in 6:2 will also be Jesus.  Most credible scholars disagree in this assessment instead, believing this rider to be none other than the counterfeit Christ or Antichrist.

A very small minority of people say the rider on a white horse of Rev 19 is some unidentified nation.  But the rider of Rev 19 is Jesus. He is followed by armies of other riders which include angels, the Church, and Tribulation Saints.  This cannot be some unknown nation.  Consistency says this rider will be a person.

He will come forth with a bow.  A bow was an effective weapon in John’s day.  It was also a symbol of military power.  Notice how nothing is said of ammunition for the bow?  Where are the arrows?  Many scholars believe that because this rider has a bow but no arrows it means that he comes with authority but has no need to present the threat of force.  Most believe his authority keeps the peace.

In ancient times crowns were worn by heads of state.  Those who wore them usually earned or inherited the right to wear their crown. This man receives his crown as a gift (Rev 13:2, 4-5, 14-15) meaning he will not earn or inherit it.

The belief is that the world will be in such a desperate state that the people will be looking for just such a person to come.  He will promise to put an end to nuclear weapons, environmental and economic problems, poverty, terrorism and more.  He will go forth as a conqueror bent on conquest, thereby abandoning his peace program in an attempt to dominate the world.  Nowhere in Scripture does it tell us that the Antichrist will dominate the whole world.  He will certainly try and he will have great authority and power, but there is no prophecy that says that he will rule the whole world.  His use of force to obtain this kind of power will result in disaster, resulting in the persecution and death of all those who oppose him.  The earth will have a very charismatic personality in the Antichrist.  One of his main goals will be to negotiate peace treaties (Dan 9:27) with the countries who oppose him.

When Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem as a man of peace, he did not ride in on a conqueror’s while horse.  Instead, he rode in on a donkey.  Riding a donkey symbolized peace and a non-threatening entrance.  When Jesus comes at the end of the Tribulation Period, it will be on the white horse of conquest.  Notice that the Antichrist does not ride in on a donkey of peace like Jesus did at his first coming.  He rides in on the white horse of conquest just like Jesus will on his Second Coming.

We need to be aware that most scholars agree that the Antichrist will rise to power in Europe.  Most believe that the European Union (EU) is the breeding ground of the Antichrist and is also the picture of the Revived Roman Empire spoken of in Dan 9:24-27.  The makes the founding of the EU very significant.  Did you know that the EU has organized their own army which they call the “Army of Peace”?

“This is the Antichrist riding on a white horse as an imitator of Jesus who will return at the end of the Tribulation, also riding on a white horse (Rev 19:11).  He goes forth to conquer the world.  Jesus does not conquer by war.  Jesus conquers by the power of the Word of God.  So this is definitely the Antichrist.”  David Reagan, Wrath of Glory, (Green Forest, AR, New Leaf Press, Lamb & Lion Ministries, 2001), 67.

“In the surge of advocates for peace, voices of dissent will be shouted down or ignored.  The peace process will cease to become a political action; it will become a spiritual mandate for a nation.  Based on the words of the prophets of Israel (2 Chron 36:15-16), I believe this peace process will lead to the most devastating was Israel has ever known.  John Hagee, Beginning of the End, 17.

Parallels Between Good and Evil in Revelation

                              Evil                                                                                 Good________________                                                             

Abaddon attacks with demon locusts (Rev 9:1-12                      Angels seal 144,000 (Rev 7:1-3)

Satan attacks Israel (Rev 12:13)                                                  Jesus breaks the seven seals (Rev 6:1; 8:1)

Evil spirits set up Armageddon (Rev 16:13-14)                             Jesus at Armageddon (Rev 19:11-21)

Antichrist comes from bottomless pit (Rev 17:8)                               Angel binds Satan (Rev 20:1-2)

Satan deceives the nations (Rev 20:7-10)                                     God sends the Holy City (Rev 21:1-2)

A Fiery Red Horse

Revelation 6:3-4 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.”  Another hose, fiery red, went out.  And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. (NKJV)

The Antichrist will barely have his peace program off the ground when Jesus breaks the second seal.  This time it will be the second living creature who speaks the command, Come and see.

A fiery red horse will go out and its rider will have an unusual power.  He will take peace from the earth and cause men to slay one another.  This rider will charge forth with a great sword in his hand.  This is a powerful symbol of death and war.

Some scholars believe this rider is associated with Communism.  The prophet Ezekiel foretells the rise of a dictator from the far north, perhaps Russia who will go forth and attack Israel (Eze 38-39) in the last days.  He will advance with a great army carrying swords and riding horses.  He will meet defeat when many of his own troops slay each other.  God will turn each man against his brother (Eze 38:21-23) so that God’s glory may be shown (Judges 7:22).

A lot of people have trouble believing Jesus will break the seal to remove peace from the earth.  What is more difficult to believe is that Jesus will sit idly by while Antichrist establishes a satanic one-world religion that kills Christians and Jews.  It’s an act of grace because world peace without Jesus is worthless if everyone on earth is about to wind up in hell.

“Jerusalem would not be a problem if Israel itself and the nations of the world would acknowledge that the one true God “is the God of Israel” and would submit to His plans for His chosen people.  Instead, world political and religious leaders continue to defy God, determined to force their agenda upon Israel.  That policy can only lead ultimately to Armageddon and God’s judgment upon this world – and it will.”  Dave Hunt, The Gathering Storm (Springfield, MO: 21^st Century Press, Mal Couch, Gen. Ed., 2005), 140.

“I believed that the peace process that Yitzhak Rabin (former Prime Minister f Israel) started would never bring peace, but would lead ultimately to nuclear holocaust in the Middle East, because they’re giving away absolutely essential land assets that are indispensable for defending Israel in return for a treaty that doesn’t remove the basic cause of war in the first place.”  Hal Lindsey, Midnight Call Magazine (Columbia, SC, Midnight Call, Inc., April 1996), 11.

The Antichrist will be a false prince of peace.  God will show the world he is a fake by causing his phony peace programs to fail.  Jesus is the true Prince of Peace.  When world leaders reject him, they reject the only solution to their problems.  Then the world will be plunged into “wars and rumors of wars” (Mt 24:6).  The world has always had war, but at some point, the frequency and intensity will greatly increase.  In fact, when Jesus breaks the second seal and the living creature summons the rider on the red horse, war will escalate throughout the world.

A Black Horse

Revelation 6:5-6 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.”  So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”  NKJV)

Peace without the Prince of Peace is no peace.  The end result can only be war.  War will rule the whole world after the Rapture.  In other words; war will affect everyone whether involved in combat or not.  These wars will be foolish and have no actual basis.  They will kill farmers, destroy land and crops and cause the collapse of social, physical, and political structures.  As always happens during armed conflict, the guys with the guns and the power will destroy, confiscate and hoard food supplies.  As we’ve seen in countries like modern day Somalia, this only causes despair, misery, poverty and death.

When Jesus opens the third seal, the third living creature will give the same command as the first two, Come and see.  This horse will be black.  Black symbolizes grief and mourning.  Its rider will hold a pair of scales that symbolize economic disaster and famine.  The scales will be used to weigh food, which will sell for an over inflated high price.  A small quart of wheat will cost the equivalent of a day’s wages, but many will not be able to survive on this, so they will be forced to buy barley.  Barley is a much cheaper and less nutritious food.  It’s usually fed to animals but now will be a staple for humankind.  Three quarts of barley will still cost the equivalent of a day’s wages.  No money will be left for clothes, housing or gas for the car.  In spite of all this, there are those with financial means who will still be able to afford luxury items such as oil and wine.

Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:31-35), but the Antichrist will be a false bread of life.  The Antichrist will prove to be a fake when his food programs do nothing but result in added famine.  Kind of like the recent efforts of our own government to control the economy through ‘stimulus’ money. 

Ultimately we will all pay for our growing budget deficits, increased consumer debt, explosion of bankruptcies, and international business corruption.  These issues alone are enough to trigger a worldwide economic collapse by themselves.  If these aren’t bad enough, we have the ever-growing worldwide threat of:

• Terrorists overthrowing the governments of oil producing nations.
• The prospect of oil production peaking out altogether.
• Natural disasters or terrorists destroying oil producing facilities or refineries.
• Natural disasters or terrorists damaging or destroying or destroying nuclear power facilities.
• Determined efforts of Islamic terrorists and Islamic nations who support them to replace or disrupt global financial systems
• Growing questions regarding diminished food production in the US and abroad due to loss of farmland resulting from natural disasters like drought and flood.
• Price gouging during times of shortages.

The picture of the future is gloomy, indeed.  But Christians can be thankful and hopeful.  We believe that this coming economic collapse is restrained by our loving God until after the Rapture.

“A nation cannot continue to borrow money forever, going further and further in debt each year.  Finally, they “hit the wall” and economic collapse or hyper-inflation are the only remaining options.  Grant R. Jeffrey, Final Warning (Toronto, Ontario: Grant R. Jeffrey, 1995), 228.

“Despite the initial success of global economic unity, a worldwide economic disaster will occur, increasing the need for further global economic controls, including a personalized insignia.”  Ed Hindson, Final Signs (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1996), 181.

The Pale Horse

Revelation 6:7-8 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.”  So I looked, and behold, a pale horse.  And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him.  And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (NKJV)

The world will have a false peace, then war, and then economic collapse and famine.  Things will grow progressively worse.  This obviously contradicts those who say things will get better and better.  It directly contradicts those who say that the Church will eventually bring in a perfect society.  The Bible says, “In the last days perilous times will come…evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim 3:1, 13).

The author of this study preached the funeral of a man who survived Hurricane Katrina.  His good, water, and other essentials started running out, so he left the area and drove several hundred miles to his parents’ home.  Shortly after he arrived, he was killed in an automobile accident.  Other victims of that same hurricane were evacuated to Houston, Texas.  About one month later, Hurricane Rita came along, and they had to be evacuated from Houston.  Another evacuation happened again 3-4 weeks later.  People moved to shelters when Hurricane Wilma was bearing down on Florida.  One of the shelters suffered damage.  All the people had to be relocated.  This is the way the Tribulation Period will be.  “It will be as though a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him!” (Amos 5:19).  It will be hard to escape from the calamity.

When Jesus opens the fourth seal, it will be the fourth living creature’s turn to summon the horse by saying, “Come and see.”  This horse will come out, creating an eerie sight because of its pale color.  In the Greek translation of the Bible, the word used for pale is “chloros”.  It means pale green like chlorophyll.  This horse is the color of spoiled meat and rotting flesh.  His rider and the creature following him are personified by Death and Hades.  This rider won’t be looking for the saved who have been raptured or the few who have accepted Jesus during the Tribulation Period.  Instead, he will be hunting the great mass of people who are destined for an eternity in hell.  Sadly, this horse and rider will go forth to harvest the souls of unbelievers for hell.

Let’s review the progression of the four horses. 

• The rider on the white horse will be only partially armed.He will have a bow but no arrows.
• The rider on the red horse will carry a single large sword.
• The rider on the black horse will have two weapons.The first is economic collapse.The second is famine.
• The rider of the pale horse will have four weapons.He has a sword, famine, plagues and wild animals.

Conditions get worse, not better.  Folks who subscribe to other views of Revelation believe that the Church will prevail over the course of history and usher Christ into a perfect world.  The Bible teaches differently.  Revelation shows us that things only get worse as time goes on.

The sword signifies continuing war and bloodshed.  Famine signifies starvation.  Plague signifies diseases.  Wild beasts signify the animals of the earth turn from being wary of man to fearless killers of man.  This last signal ought to be a warning to the nature lovers and politically correct who worship Mother Nature and those who value the lives of animals over the lives of human babies.  God will show the world that it’s wrong to worship Mother Nature.  Hungry animals will turn on the unbelieving world and add to the death and eternal damnation of more than one billion people.

Today we have troubling signs of plagues sweeping the earth.  Experts are sounding alarms that stockpiles of biological weapons are more than enough to destroy the world many times over.  Some believe they will become the terrorist’s weapons of choice.  One UN report reads, “al-Qaeda terror network is determined to use chemical and biological weapons and is restrained only by the technical difficulties of doing so.”  The world does not have enough facilities to produce vaccines.  For some diseases there are no known vaccines or insufficient quantities of vaccines.  Over population and increased travel make it impossible to localize epidemics.  Fleeing refugees will spread deadly diseases.  Medical facilities will be overwhelmed and some will be destroyed.  It’s a growing challenge that the UN seems unable to manage or change.

Some believe that terrorists are now working to obtain nuclear weapons as well.  When this study was written there was no idea that Iran would be attempting to manufacture nuclear weapons with the public intent of destroying Israel.  There was no hint in the air that Pakistan would become a nation run by the al-Qaeda terrorist network.  Some believe it’s only a matter of time before a nuclear incident occurs.

“It is not God’s intent that any should perish, but when people defiantly refuse God’s plan, the consequence of this disobedience is death.  The rider on the pale horse is only taking his due.”  Billy Graham, Storm Warning (Minneapolis, MN: Grason, Billy Graham, 1992), 230.

“It staggers the imagination to realize that one-fourth of the world’s population will be destroyed within a matter of days.  When I think about this awful judgment that awaits the Christ-rejecting world, it gives no satisfaction to my heart; it fires me up to get out the message that God has provided an alternative in Jesus.”  Hal Lindsey, There’s a New World Coming (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1984), 88.

Who Do We Have Here?

Revelation 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. (NKJV)

Following the Rapture, multitudes will accept Jesus.  They are usually called the Tribulation Saints.  World leaders will say these Christians are a threat to world government, world peace, world religion, and the environment.  Therefore they must be dealt with. Followers of the New Age Movement teach that the earth must go through a cleansing in order to proceed to perfection.  This cleansing they envision will include the death of all who turn to Jesus.  The opening of the fifth seal switches attention from the deaths of unbelievers to the deaths of believers.  We switch from the pit of Hades to under the altar in heaven.  The four living creatures will summon no more horses.  The last three seals will be different from the first four.

Jesus obviously will not forget his people, because he showed John the souls of these slain believers gathered in a special place. They will have died because of the Word of God and because of the testimony they maintain.  Many of these will be from families of Christians who left in the Rapture.  Others will be Jews who realize the mistake they made in not accepting Jesus.  Some will have heard the Word of God for the first time.  Others will finally come to grips with their sin and turn to Jesus, who said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10:28).  These believers will realize that the Antichrist can do nothing worse than kill their bodies because God has promised to raise them from the dead.  They will choose to die one death (physical), rather than die twice (physical and spiritual).

How Long, O Lord?

Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord. Holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (NKJV)

This is an odd picture.  Instead of being with the rest of the Church around the throne of God, we find these souls (Tribulation Saints) under the altar crying out for God to avenge their blood and to bring justice on the inhabitants of the earth.  Unlike those who received their glorified bodies in the Rapture, these saints will have to wait until later for their.  Because of this they will be fully conscious and able to rationalize the persecution, torture, and murder they have endured.  They will have a sense of justice and want to be raised, vindicated, and given glorified bodies.

They will cry out with a loud voice reminiscent of Psalm 94:1-3.  “O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs – O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!  Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render punishment to the proud.  LORD< how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?” (NKJV)

They will utter the prayer Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them, for they do not k now what they do” (Luke 23:24).  They will appeal to God’s sovereign nature and to his sense of justice and fairness when they ask to be avenged.  Some people have trouble with the idea that saints in heaven will cry out for vengeance against those who sin on earth.  They suggest that these martyred souls are asking God to move against those who rejected his Word and their testimonies about Jesus, and to quickly establish his kingdom on earth (Rev 6:9).

“It’s a sobering fact that if people will not give their hearts to Christ now, while it is still easy and small cost is involved, when the Tribulation judgment sets in, although they can still be saved, it will be “so as by fire (1 Cor 3:15).”  Hal Lindsey, ibid, 93.

Rest A Little While Longer

Revelation 6:11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.  (NKJV)

These martyrs will not be rebuked for asking to be vindicated.  The will receive white robes signifying the righteousness of Jesus. Some experts suggest these robes may indicate some type of intermediate body, but whatever the case, we know that the martyrs will be able to hear, understand, and converse.  Jesus tells them to be patient.  Their condition seems to be similar to that of the rich man and Lazarus whom Jesus talked about (Luke 16:19-31).  The Tribulation Saints will be told to wait until other believers are killed.  This indicates that Jesus has a specific plan for the rest of the world.

“We learn tow important facts from this mysterious moment.  First, there will be a point at the end of time when God will judge the inhabitants of the earth.  Second, before that moment can come, other men and women equally dedicated to God and his kingdom will be martyred for the Word of God and for the testimony they maintain.  Are you prepared for the risk such words describe?”  Billy Graham, Storm Warning, 271.

“As I write this, I long for everyone to give their hearts to Christ now, when it is comparatively easy to be a Christian.  During the Tribulation, the fate of believers will be worse than what happened in the Nazi concentration camps during World War ll.  David Jeremiah with C. C. Carlson, Escape the Coming Night (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1990), 112.

Cosmic Calamity

Revelation 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  (NKJV)

When Jesus opens the sixth seal, the whole earth will shake.  John calls this shaking “a great earthquake,” but the description sounds more like a nuclear explosion.  It may be a great earthquake triggered by one or more nuclear explosions.  Whether it’s just a stand-alone earthquake, a nuclear explosion, or both it will be massive.  The whole earth will go into convulsions, and the appearances of the sun and the moon will be changed.

While the earth is going through tremendous vibrations, the sun will be darkened as if almost black, and the moon will turn blood red. It could be that one or more nuclear explosions will take place, causing the earth to shake violently and spew tons of debris into the atmosphere.  The resulting atmospheric pollution will cause darkness to cover the land.  The moon appears to turn a deep dark red color.  The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and the 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center Towers are vivid reminders that darkness can cover the land in the brightest part of the day.

Today the Middle East is brimming with weapons of mass destruction.  There are unsubstantiated reports that Israel and Iran have the nuclear bomb.  Couple this with unfulfilled prophecy, and we can understand why the prophet Isaiah said Damascus will be turned into a ruinous heap, and the mountains of Lebanon will be on fire.  The prophet Ezekiel said Egypt will turn to utter waste and desolation for forty years.  It is easy to see the possible results of atomic or nuclear weapons.

The prophet Joel said, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31).  According to Ezekiel, the sword will come upon Egypt when the day of the Lord is near.

“God made clear to these martyrs that their sacrifice was an appointment, not an accident; and that others would join them.  Even in the death of His people, God is in control (Ps 116:15); so there is nothing to fear.”  Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Victorious (Colorado Springs, CO, Cook Communications, Inc., 2004), 66.

Shaken

Revelation 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. (NKJV)

The Golden Rule of Interpretation states, “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.”  This, however, is one of those instances where the plain sense doesn’t seem to make any sense.  Most stars, that we are aware of, are bigger than earth.  No star could fall to the earth as late figs drop from a fig tree without decimating the planet.

Since the word “stars” in the Greek translation could also be translated meteors, this could indicate a meteor shower.  It could also mean a missile attack.  During the Persian Gulf War, nights were filled with cruise missiles and laser-guided smart bombs.  One can easily see how someone living almost two thousand years ago would describe scenes like this as falling stars.  Whether these are missiles or meteors we do not know.  Whatever they are, they will fall to earth in abundance like overripe figs falling from a fig tree in a mighty wind.

A Giant Tidal Wave

Revelation 6:14 The sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. (NKJV)

In our natural thinking we have no idea what would cause the sky to ‘recede like a scroll’ or for ‘mountains and islands to be moved out of their places’.  To a physicist however, this could very well be another indication of a coming nuclear war.  During a nuclear blast the wind is rapidly pushed out or displaced for several miles.  This creates a vacuum at the center of the blast site.  Nature hates a vacuum so the outside winds, like a violent giant tidal wave, rushes back into the vacuum.  The sky actually does roll up on itself(Isaiah 34:1-10) when this happens.  This explosion will be so great it will cause every mountain and island on earth to move.

Skeptics say God will never allow these things to happen.  They like to say it’s impossible to move mountains and islands.  But the world will long remember that 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 or the Japanese Tsunami of 2011.  The Indian Ocean quake was reported to have released the energy of a million atomic bombs.  It caused a tsunami with waves thirty feet high traveling at 500 mph.  The waves struck ten nations, killed more than one hundred thousand people, injured more than one-half million, and left millions homeless.  Islands were moved from their original locations.  One report said the Island of Sumatra, an island of about 30 million people with mountains 12,000 feet high moved one hundred feet to the southwest.  Another report said the earth wobbled in its orbit and time stopped for three microseconds.  It is estimated that somewhere in the neighborhood of 250,000 people were killed.

On Friday, March 11 at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time, the 8.9 magnitude quake struck. First there was the roar and rumble of the temblor, shaking skyscrapers, toppling furniture and buckling highways. Then, waves as high as 30 feet rushed onto shore whisking away cars and carrying blazing buildings toward factories, fields and highways.  At a small farming community called Sendai the onrushing tsunami brought with it automobiles, homes, airplanes and ocean going ships.  Everything in the path of the tsunami was pushed inland by the power rush of water and mud.  In addition to the wide spread destruction was the near meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  By July, the count of dead and missing was above 22,000. Tens of thousands of people remained housed in temporary shelters or evacuated their homes due to the nuclear crisis.

According to the National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Agency, Northern Japan was physically moved 13 inches to the west by the double whammy of the impact of the earthquake and tsunami.  Scientists recorded a shift in the polar axis of 21/2 inches.

All this reminds us of Bible stories of the sun standing still for almost a day (Joshua 10:12-13) and later moving backward ten degrees (2 Kings 20:9-11) in Old Testament times.  And it reminds us that the Bible predicts a time when “the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and “shall totter like a hut” (Isaiah 24:20).  Don’t say God won’t let it happen.  Be thankful for the grace that’s holding it back until his Church is out of here.

“Pope John Paul ll has stated, “Our future on this planet, exposed as it is to nuclear annihilation, depends on one single factor: humanity must make a moral about-face.”  Billy Graham, Storm Warning, 57.

“The threat of a global nuclear holocaust will push the world to the brink of disaster and leave people crying for peace.  This crisis will probably be centered in the Middle East.”  Ed Hindson, Final Signs, 181.

Hiding From The Terror

Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, (NKJV)

But it will be worse than when people fled the winds and floods of hurricanes early this century to sleep on bridges, gymnasium floors, and in sports complexes until they could be evacuated to remote places in other areas of the United States.  There will be worldwide panic (Isaiah 24:1-13).  Regardless of one’s status in life, all people will try to hide.  Multitudes will leave everything behind and rush into caves and bomb shelters.  Multitudes will flee their palaces.  Great generals and mighty men will turn and run in fear for their lives.  People of every class will flee and hide.  Survival will be man’s only concern.  The basic necessities of life will be scarce.  Author and speaker David Breese said, “The love of God is eternal.  His patience is not.”

Nothing Will Escape God’s Wrath

Revelation 6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! (NKJV)

Will these panic-stricken people call (Acts 4:12) on Jesus?  No!  Instead they will call on Mother Nature.  They will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them, because they will want to hide from the face and wrath of God.  During the mayhem and afterward, multitudes will finally admit the existence of God.  They will even admit that it is possible to anger Jesus, but they will not turn to him.  Instead, they will try to hide, but to no avail since nothing can escape the sight of God.

The Day of Wrath

Revelation 6:17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? (NKJV)

The day of wrath (Zeph 1:14-16) is another name for the Tribulation Period.  The multitudes will recognize the beginning of that day when the sixth seal is opened.  Sadly, we read nothing about people repenting and accepting Jesus.  We see only the realization that the dreaded Tribulation Period has come. 

Let’s Discover Daniel

In Daniel’s 70 – Weeks Prophecy, the first sixty-nine weeks of Daniel’s prophecy are the period of time (69 weeks x 7 years/week = 483 years) between the decree for the captive Jews in Babylon to return to Israel to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, and the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Since these first sixty-nine weeks of Daniel’s prophecy were literally fulfilled, we can only assume that the seventieth week (the last week of seven years) will also be literally fulfilled.

Some people do not understand why prophecy teachers say there is a gap between the first sixty-nine weeks of Daniel’s prophecy and the seventieth week (the Church Age.  Let’s remember that the Church

Age is the period of time between the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the Tribulation Period.  A careful study of prophecy reveals that Jesus would be killed, and Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed after the sixty-ninth week.  That happened in AD 70 when the Romans overran Israel, burned Jerusalem, tore down the temple, and killed five million Jews.  Part of the prophecy has been fulfilled.  But a careful study also reveals that the seventieth week will not begin until the Antichrist signs a seven-year covenant to protect Israel.  The Antichrist will break that covenant and stop all animal sacrifices.  For this to happen, Israel had to be restored as a nation.  This happened in 1948.  The other part of the prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled is that Israel must rebuild the temple.  Heather Lee of the Blossoming Rose (see blossomingrose.com) says that the temple components have already been built and are in storage at a secret location.  According to Heather Lee, the Lamp Stands and the Cherubim are a whopping 9’ tall! 

Some believe the Church will succeed in establishing the kingdom of God on earth without the world going through the Tribulation Period.  But the angel Gabriel told Daniel the Jews would go through the entire seventy weeks before the kingdom of righteousness is brought in.  Since the earth has never experienced some of the things prophesied for that time, it must go through them before the kingdom of God can be established.

Some people believe that the seventieth week of Daniel had been fulfilled by the time Jesus arrived, but Jesus spoke of these things asfuture events (Mt 24:15) not events of the past.

Eight Reasons for the Tribulation Period

• To fulfill prophecy.(Dan 9:24)
• To defeat Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.(Rev 19-20)
• To uphold Jerusalem’s cause and punish those who mistreat the Jews.(Isaiah 34:8)
• To punish Israel for sinning.(Micah 7:9)
• To embarrass the Jews and cause them to accept Jesus as their Messiah.(Zech 13:8-9)
• To punish those who claim Israel’s land.(Eze 36:1-38)
• To punish the inhabitants of the earth for sin.(Isaiah 24:1-6; 26:20-21)
• To cause the inhabitants of the earth to seek righteousness.(Isaiah 26:9)

Chapter Six in Review

• The judgments of the Tribulation Period begin when Christ opens the first of the seven seals.(Rev 6:1)
• The four horsemen will bring about the Antichrist, war, economic ruin, famine, and death. (Rev 6:2-8)
• During the Tribulation Period people will still turn to Christ and be killed for their faith.These people will be known as the Tribulation Saints, and they will ask to be avenged.(Rev 6:9-10)
• An earthquake will rack the earth, affecting the sun, moon, sky, land and sea.(Rev 6:12-14)
• Following the sixth seal, fear will grip everyone on earth, affecting the sun, moon, sky, land, and sea.(Rev 6:12-14)
• Following the sixth seal, fear will grip everyone on earth as they try to hide from the wrath of God.(Rev 6:15-17)

Study Questions

1. What weapon did the rider on the white horse carry?
2. What power was given to the rider on the red horse?
3. How much will a quart of wheat cost during the Tribulation Period?
4. What was the name of the rider on the pale horse and who was following him?

Eight Reasons for the Tribulation Period

• To fulfill prophecy.(Dan 9:24)
• To defeat Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.(Rev 19-20)
• To uphold Jerusalem’s cause and punish those who mistreat the Jews.(Isaiah 34:8)
• To punish Israel for sinning.(Micah 7:9)
• To embarrass the Jews and cause them to accept Jesus as their Messiah.(Zech 13:8-9)
• To punish those who claim Israel’s land.(Eze 36:1-38)
• To punish the inhabitants of the earth for sin.(Isaiah 24:1-6; 26:20-21)
• To cause the inhabitants of the earth to seek righteousness.(Isaiah 26:9)

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